MOATED SITES IN - SHIRE—A LIST County Museum Archaeological Group A MOAT for the purpose of this gazetteer is defined as one or more islands artificially created by digging a ditch. Commonly the island so formed is rect- angular and the ditches were normally intended to hold water, even if they do not now do so. Moats are a widespread phenomenon. An interim distribution map published by Roberts1 showed them to be essentially a feature of lowland Britain and commonest on heavy clay soils. Recently an effective classification scheme for moats has been evolved8, but it is necessarily morphological, as without excava- tion it is rarely safe to be too precise about function. Only three moats, for instance, have been excavated in , a very small proportion of the 159 noted here, and this is fairly typical of the country as a whole. Their commonest function, however, was clearly perceived by Allcroft3, who described them as "homestead" moats. Excavation has shown many to have once contained buildings of medieval date, often manorial. A number of moats still contain buildings, although these are often secondary in date. The main period of moat construction seems to have been the thirteenth century, although rare twelfth century moats are known and others were con- structed later. Sometimes moats were thrown up in areas where there had already been occupation; in other cases the moat seems to have been the primary structure. The reasons for this burst of moat building activity have been much discussed, a convenient summary being by Le Patourel4. It has been observed that their defensive function is limited and, as they often seek out water, construction for drainage is not an adequate explanation; nor is the conjecture that they were a response to late medieval climatic deterioration satisfactory, for a number were constructed before that deterioration com- menced. Some may indeed represent colonisation of new land, but others are sited in villages recorded in Domesday. The most forceful explanation is the suggestion that an element of fashion was involved5. In date they follow the construction of a number of small mottes; castles were in vogue and the moat was in its way also a statement of

1 Moated Sites in Midland , B. K. Roberts. Trans. B'ham. Arch. Soc. 80 (1965) 26-36. 2 Inventory of Historic Monuments in the County of Cambridge 1. West Cambridge. R.C.H.M. (1968) lxi. 3 Earthworks of England, A. Hadrian Allcroft (1908). ' The Moated Sites of Yorkshire, H. E. Jean Le Patourel. Soc. Med. Arch. Monograph No. 5 (1973). 5 Moated Medieval Sites, P. J. Atkins. The Local Historian, Vol. 10, No. 3, (1972). 336 MOATED SITES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

CHILTERN SCARP (•) TWO OR MORE MOATS

jp MILES '73 337 social status. It cost money to dig and maintain, and provided a modicum of security and privacy against casual intruders. Moreover, moats were a useful source of water for family and stock, and of fish, although a supply of the latter was in many cases provided by auxiliary fishponds. A number of apparent "homestead" moats have been found on excavation to contain no buildings; some are garden features, others fishponds, and a few in Bucks could be Civil War works. It is by no means always possible to distinguish between these from surface inspection. For the sake of complete- ness, all moats have been noted here, including those filled in or destroyed, without any attempts at classification. The list which follows can only be an interim one, for within the last year four new moats have been discovered and more can be expected to be located through further fieldwork. The main research leading to the compilation of this list has been under- taken by the County Museum Archaeological Group, and foremost in this particular project have been Mrs. P. Holt, Mrs. J. Uren and Mrs. Y. Par- minter, who also drew the map. Much useful work has been contributed by other members of the Group, and thanks are due also to D. C. Mynard and R. W. Griffiths for assistance. The sites are listed alphabetically under and are accompanied by their NGR and County Antiquities Survey number. The latter number refers to an index card held at the County Museum. Michael Farley. PARISH N.G.R. C.A.S. No. PARISH N.G.R. C.A.S. No. Ashley Green ...... SP98640425 0021 . SP65153067 0551 ...... SP86471273 0129 Chetwode . SP63952975 0319 Aston Clinton .. SP87651221 0131 . SP90684580 0506 .. .. SP75520783 0324 Chilton . SP67751048 0101 Astwood .. SP95454743 0474 cum Astwood .. SP94654865 0475 St. Leonards .,. SP95000584 0248 .. SP77183715 0436 Cholesbury cum Beaconsfield . SU93589145 1411 St. Leonards ... SP91880660 0132 w. Broughton SP83501510 0408 . SP93284973 0518 Bierton w. Broughton SP84651374 0124 Clifton Reynes . SP91315019 0519 Bledlow c. Saunderton SP79440238 0307 Datchet TQ00057790 0526 Bledlow c. Saunderton SP79620181 0367 Denham TQ04708805 0300 .. SP88453593 0667 Denham TQ03778463 0304 .. SP60311592 0320 Dinton with Ford .,. SP77980969 0325 Boarstall .. SP62421420 0317 Dinton with Ford ... SP79050952 0326 Boarstall .. SP62641470 0318 Dinton with Ford .., SP78130728 0327 ...... SP89103545 0442 Dinton with Ford . . SP76300874 0180 Bradwell .. SP83003960 0431 Dinton with Ford ... SP76611085 0330 Buckland .. SP88441262 0136 SP90011201 0035 Burnham . SU93008050 0522 East . SP73932565 0338 Burnham . .SU94938021 0523 . SP73862567 0339 Burnham . SU94618567 0524 . SP97471926 0469 Chalfont St. Peter . . TQ01239008 0305 Edlesborough , SP95491910 0470 Chartridge .. SP92500280 0385 Edlesborough . SP97221933 0471 .. SP72071022 0337 Ellesborough .... SP82300880 0391 ...... SP91781748 0466 Ellesborough , SP84300840 0392 Chetwode ...SP63862966 0382 Ellesborough . SP83700825 0393 Chetwode .. SP63912956 0383 Ellesborough . SP83570805 0394 338 PARISH N.G.R. C.A.S. No PARISH N.G.R. C.A.:I No. .... SP79273245 0219 SP94354460 0507 Great Horwood .... SP77303156 0201 SP77962248 1286 Great Horwood .... SP77203156 0029 Oakley SP66661104 1555 Great & Little Kimble SP81300930 0387 SP94351517 0462 Great & Little Kimble SP82000920 0388 SP66202800 0245 Great & Little Kimble SP82220590 0945 SP80520345 0389 Great & Little Kimble SP79780787 0404 Princes Risborough SP80590360 0390 Great & Little Kimble SP82020579 0405 Princes Risborough SP81450525 0454 Great & Little Kimble SP82790633 0954 Princes Risborough SP81330440 0295 Great Missenden .. SP87200137 0386 SP72891918 0333 Great Missenden SP91640205 0384 Quainton SP72781966 0334 Great Missenden SP91720203 0100 Quainton SP71751991 0335 Great Missenden SP90870043 0174 Quainton SP75372053 0340 SP67422110 0425 Quainton SP71322003 0342 Grendon Underwood SP67772125 0427 Quainton SP72082013 0343 SP81004626 0355 Quainton SP70572059 0344 Hanslope SP82314545 0356 SP78761785 0336 Hanslope SP80434657 0357 Quarrendon SP80301581 0407 Hanslope SP81724759 0358 SP83453600 0433 Hanslope SP77504853 0360 SP82903650 0410 Hardmead SP94134812 0476 Shenley Church End SP82403660 0432 Hardmead SP93484780 0477 SP89004625 0453 Hardmead SP94034812 0683 Slapton SP92331937 0465 Hardmead SP93184708 1493 Slough SU95197978 0166 SP82874258 0308 Slough TQ02007880 1033 Hedgerley SU97818833 0525 SP89632711 0552 SP75002242 0341 SP85142594 0417 Hogshaw SP73702257 0345 Stewkley SP83742725 0418 Horton TQ01877601 0297 . SP81634898 0045 Horton TQ01197717 0298 .. SP82731040 0414 Hughenden SU87649577 0275 Stoke Mandeville .. SP83011021 0415 SP85381673 0003 Stoke Mandeville . SP83700946 0416 Iver TQ01658043 0303 Tattenhoe SP82853385 0269 Iver TQ02828095 0550 The Lee SP91520491 0175 SP92801673 0463 SP75941294 0178 Ivinghoe SP94081650 0464 Westcott SP71821692 0444 Ivinghoe Aston SP95461809 0184 Westcott SP71761706 0331 SP92305360 0516 SP86091086 0411 .. SP71233965 0346 Weston Turville SP85361079 0412 SP79283092 0081 Weston Turville SP84761353 0123 Little Marlow SU88908774 0459 Weston Underwood SP86575023 0461 Longwick cum Ilmer SP77040540 0328 Wexham SU99208152 0521 Loughton SP83753750 0434 Wexham TQ00688037 0301 Ludgershall SP67801876 0321 Wexham TQ01398025 0302 Ludgershall SP65931711 0033 Whaddon SP80723396 0266 SP64452287 0429 Whaddon SP81143150 0221 SP91751485 0472 Wing SP85202270 0409 Milton Keynes SP88603920 0441 SP86831918 0406 SP90774173 0682 Woodham SP70451834 0332 SP81832836 0530 Woolstone cum Willen SP87403890 0440 SP88024238 0458 Woolstone cum Willen SP88104085 0457 North Crawley SP92774530 1412 SP69771752 0040 North Crawley SP91804603 0478 Wotton Underwood SP68461671 0236 North Crawley SP92164509 0479 Wraysbury ...... TQ00357384 0299

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